Wind Charmer
by PHADE
Summary: Within the sullen walls of the Mishima manse, a mysterious guest roams the halls. As Ling Xiaoyu discovers the stranger's background, Jin finds common ground but questions Heihachi's true intnetions. A Tekken and Soul Calibur Cross
1. HonMaru: Mishima Estate

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters of Tekken or Soul Calibur I'm just borrowing them for a bit. I do own copies of the games though...too bad that doesn't count for anything. ;-)

**A/N:** This is my first Fighting Game fic and I hope you like it. It's a Tekken - Soul Calibur crossing and as the title shows you can probably guess who the mysterious guest in the Mishima estate is :-)

**Hon-Maru - Mishima Estate**

A gentle breeze caressed her face as she lifted it to the sky. Eyes closed, the young girl smiled at the first rays of the sun as it touched her skin. She hummed softly to herself as she walked the gardens of Hon-Maru; Heihachi's private retreat.

A beautiful temple was nestled deep within the lush forest of the Heihachi's estate along with stables for riding, a private dojo, a large garden with beautiful fountains and a massive Japanese manse.

Above her hovered a large raven that squawked its greeting and landed upon her out stretched arm. She was small and slight in build with ebon shoulder length hair, large brown eyes and skin bronzed by the sun. On this morning she wore a white kimono decorated with pale pink peony flowers and a light blue obi around her thin waist.

She was not Japanese by any stretch of the word but Heihachi insisted on culturing her in all things Japanese and like the little bird that she was she mimicked everything without question. There was something about her complacency to his grandfather that irked Jin.

From his vantage point his dark eyes watched her and studied her movements. She had the elegance and balance of a dancer as she walked the narrow ledge of the fountain's edge with ease, and sat gracefully with the bird on her arm.

The young girl stroked the beast lovingly and spoke soothingly to it as she sat at the fountain's edge. Why has his grandfather taken such an interest in her? What was so special about this girl?

"Well you're certainly up early." the jovial high pitched voice of his friend woke him from his reverie.

"Hey Xiao." Jin greeted in his normal detached tone.

"What's so interesting?" Xiaoyu asked curiously as she peered around Jin's shoulder.

"Obsessing about her again?" she teased lightheartedly.

"I'm not obsessing." He stated flatly, his eyes still on the girl below.

"Whatever." Xiaoyu answered standing next to her friend, and looked down to follow his gaze. "I don't see what the big deal is."

Jin turned his head at Xiaoyu and arched a brow in question. "You don't approve of her?"

Xiaoyu shrugged casually and moved to the balcony's ledge and leaned against it. "Except for her weird fashion sense, I've got nothing against her. I mean who wears a kimono now days?" Xiaoyu smiled her normal jovial way. "It's so circa 1600s Shogunate."

His thin lips broke out into a rare smile at Xiaoyu's comment, and her heart warmed. She lived to make him smile.

"That kimono was a gift from Heihachi. Talk to him if you have issues with her wardrobe. Now, have you learned anything?" he asked her.

"Well for one that kimono she's wearing is insanely expensive and apparently made of this rare silk that's made from-"

"I could careless as to how he clothes her." Jin interjected. "Do you know something substantial?"

"Mmhm." She nodded then propped herself up onto the ledge of the balcony and sat facing Jin. Xiaoyu smiled craftily as she used her legs to pull Jin closer to her.

"Well what have you learned?" Jin said as he placed his hands down on the balcony's ledge on either side of Xiaoyu. It made him nervous when she sat at the edge, so he had positioned his hands on either side of her.

Xiaoyu placed her hands on Jin's supporting arms and smiled; she also lived for his touch. "Afraid I'd fall Kazama?"

"I do recall a certain Chinese girl falling from a particular ledge once and breaking her leg."

"I was standing on the ledge then and it was raining. I'm sitting now and the ledge is dry."

"Your clumsiness knows no bounds." Jin commented matter-of-factly.

"You're a real comedian." Xiaoyu retorted sarcastically.

Jin ignored the comment. He wasn't in the mood. "Do you know something about her or not?"

Xiaoyu rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "God Jin, can't we have one conversation that does not involve her for once?"

"So you don't really know anything." Jin answered in his typical withdrawn voice. He retracted his arms and pulled away from Xiaoyu as he moved to leave.

Xiaoyu anchored her legs tighter around Jin as he began to retreat and forced him back to her. "Don't be like that Jin. Of course I know something." She beamed at him. "Have I ever let you down?"

Curious as to what Xiaoyu had learned, Jin moved back into place arms settled at either side of the Chinese girl once more.

"So what have you discovered?" Jin asked his eyes dark and intense.

Xiaoyu smiled craftily. "She's from some Southeast Asian island I can't remember the name of. Your grandfather and the Tekken Force went to investigate a disturbance there and they found a village in ruins."

"A disturbance?"

"Yeah, it's pretty vague, but Jubei said that her village was destroyed and her people massacred."

"She was the lone survivor?"

"Yeah, she's been here at the manse for about three months now. The servants say she's nice enough; humble and shy. She helps with chores, cheerful to the hired help and get this, she prays to the winds."

"She prays to the wind?"

"Yup. Apparently her people are a little on the backward side. They had limited technology lived off the land and prayed to the elements. This place is so high up and close to the mountains and the sea, your grandfather probably thought she'd feel more at ease here than in Tokyo."

"Heihachi's had her hidden away up here on Hon-Maru all this time." Jin mused.

"Well that explains his darting back and forth from Tokyo to Hom-Maru the whole time."

"I wonder what's so special about her that he'd want her hidden." Jin mused.

"Hidden?" Xiaoyu exclaimed doubtfully, "Jin, he probably didn't want to freak the girl out is all. Can you imagine growing up in a village with no electricity or technology to speak of, living off the land, then having everything destroyed, taken from you and then thrust into a strange world of crowds of people, bright lights, loud sirens, skyscrapers, automobiles and trains? It would have been sensory overload for her. I think the old man was breaking her in slow by keeping her here on Hon-Maru."

"He's not a philanthropist by nature." Jin said unconvinced of his grandfather's intentions. "You give my grandfather way too much credit Xiao."

"He's a good man Jin." Xiao countered. "Hey he took me in and I'm nobody."

Jin smirked incredulously and looked off into the distance. There was something up.

"Stop looking for things that aren't there Jin." Xiaoyu said.

She noticed Jin's gaze fall on the girl below and Xiaoyu turned to watch as the strange girl stood and moved gracefully to meet Heihachi as he approached. The girl bowed elegantly as her bird took flight. Heihachi extended his arm which she accepted with a small smile and without hesitation, allowed him to lead her towards the forest.

"Anything else about her?" Jin said changing the subject. When it came to Heihachi, Xiaoyu and he never saw eye to eye.

"Not really. Just-" Xiaoyu paused for a moment unsure of how to phrase the next part.

"Just what?"

"According to Jubei, when they found her, she was searching frantically for her grandmother's heart. Tekken Force found the old woman at the centre of the village splayed lifeless, decapitated and with a gaping chest wound, like her heart was ripped out of her."

Jin's eyes widened in shock and he looked down at Xiaoyu. A bout of recollection hit him at the mention of the old woman's body and the burned village. His mother's head was severed by the Toshin and her heart was missing from her corpse as well; a warrior's heart.

Xiaoyu halted her tale understanding full well the shift in Jin's features. She had not wanted to bring up old wounds.

"Go on." Jin coaxed and offered a reassuring smile.

Xiaoyu nodded and continued. "She refused to leave until she found the organ. She wanted to bury her grandmother whole. They tried to get her out of the village, but she fought back."

"According to Jubei, she took out 8 members of Tekken Force before she was subdued. He claimed she called upon the wind as she fought to bolster her attacks. I think he was making excuses for his team who had their butts served to them by a 90 pound girl."

Jin smiled a rare smile of agreement at Xiaoyu. "I doubt the girl can control the winds."

"Yeah, tell that to Jubei and the TF." Xiao smirked.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, there's more. Rumor has it that your grandfather knew her grandmother real well, if you catch my drift."

Jin smirked at the assumption and glanced at his grandfather's receding form. "I do not hold sway to idle gossip. Do you have a point with this Xiaoyu?"

Xiaoyu's lips twisted into a crooked smile, "You may not think there's anything to the relationship between Heihachi and that girl's grandmother, but it was important enough for Heihachi to take himself and the Tekken Force to that island and important enough for him to take in the girl and raise her here at Hon-Maru."

"He could have ignored it all." Xiao continued. "But he didn't. He even helped the girl bury her grandmother. So there was something between your grandfather and her grandmother, romantic or not she was important enough to your grandfather to take the girl in."

Jin conceded a nod to Xiao's logic now was not the time to be arguing about his grandfather's intentions.

"Where'd they bury the old woman?"

"They never took the body to Japan if that's what you mean. She insisted on her grandmother remaining with her people." Xiaoyu continued somberly. "Jubei said that she never shed a tear that day as she buried her family. Girl loses everything and she doesn't even bat a watery eyelash…weird don't you think."

"There are some levels of despair that are beyond tears." Jin whispered knowingly; he understood the girl's pain.

Xiaoyu nodded. "Still it sort of freezes your blood to think about it."

"Do they know what did this to her village?"

"No, but the way Jubei was talking it sounded like it was one thing, but I doubt it. One man could not be capable of such destruction."

"No, not a man." Jin muttered.

"Huh?" Xiaoyu looked up at Jin curiously.

"Nothing." Jin shook his head and the memories from his mind. "So she can fight too." He said changing the subject once more.

"Apparently."

"What style?" Jin asked.

Xiaoyu shrugged. "I don't know. Why, do you think Heihachi is training her for the tournament?"

"I don't know, but they are headed to the dojo." Jin's dark eyes looked off into the distance as a shade of pink entered the dojo.

Xiaoyu turned and squinted seeing a blob of colour enter the distant building. "Damn, you can see that far? I need new contacts."

"Let's go." Jin said lifting Xiaoyu from the ledge she sat on and placed her onto her feet.

"Let me guess." She said with lackluster enthusiasm. "We're training?"

"Yup, so go get dressed."

Xiaoyu rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "Damn it Kazama its summer break and we just got here. We're supposed to be having fun, relaxing, playing not training!"

He ignored her plight and moved to leave the balcony that overlooked the entire Mishima estate. "Be down in ten. I won't wait."

"Do you ever?"

Jin glanced back with a serious look at his Chinese friend.

"Yeah, Yeah." Xiaoyu rolled her eyes and started to move down the hallway towards her bedroom to change. "Some summer vacation this turned out to be. I should've stayed in Tokyo with Miharu." Xiao grumbled.


	2. Maila Kari

**Maila Kari**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters of Tekken or Soul Calibur I'm just borrowing them for a bit.

Hon-Maru – Mishima Private Dojo

Heihachi slid the wooden door open to reveal a pristinely kept dojo. Bronze braziers lined the perimeter. At the head of the room was a Japanese flag that dangled above an old suit of samurai armor. The armor flanked by two tapestries of Japanese calligraphy read 'Honor' and 'Strength'; the Mishima code embroidered, one on each silken fabric. Heihachi watched as the young girl entered the dojo with child like curiosity that was refreshing to him.

Talim stood before the silken tapestries marveling at the artistry and the armor when a light breeze fluttered into the dojo, ruffling the light fabric of her sleeves. She breathed in the sweet scent of the forest that flowed through the room by way of the large windows.

"The winds flow freely here." She said softly in Japanese admiring the free flow of wind in the room.

Heihachi smiled at the diminutive young girl. She was learning quickly the Japanese language and she was as malleable as clay; eager to please.

"Your grandmother Kalana made a similar observation the first time she came to Hon-Maru."

"She would have." Talim stated matter-of-factly as she moved about the dojo. "It is the first thing any from my village would have noticed. The wind is important to us." She said as she moved to the centre of the dojo.

The fighting area was large and the mat well used, Talim noted. She circled the room eyes wide with wonder. The outer floor planks glossed with wax was cool to the touch on her bare feet. The mat was firm but would cushion the fall of any fighter though the impact would still be painful Talim figured.

"Kalana and I fought here on his very mat, in this very room." He mused, his voice trailing with his memories. The then bold young priestess had come to Hon-Maru to convince Heihachi's father to leave their island alone. Heihachi smiled remembering his first encounter with the tenacious priestess.

Talim remained silent and respectful, letting Heihachi pull himself out of his reverie on his own terms. She moved softly around the room, inspecting the rest of the area.

Weapons and old armor lined the walls and she found herself drawn to a particular set of weapons.

"We call them Sais." Heihachi commented as he stepped to stand behind the girl.

Talim nodded and repeated the word as though tasting it. "Sais."

Heihachi extended his hand to Talim. "Come I have something to show you."

Talim accepted his extended hand and allowed him to lead her to another room. A small alcove revealed yet another set of armor and an altar with a charred sword; sheath and all. Talim instantly recognized it as the sword she had given to Heihachi the night her village burned; her grandmother had kept that sword in her home and had cherished it. Beneath the sword though caused Talim's breath to catch as a set of unique elbow blades were displayed beneath the sword.

"Maila Kari." Talim whispered and bent to kneel before the elbow blades.

"You recognize it?"

"I've seen them in drawings. My grandmother once wielded them, but they were said to have been lost."

"No, not lost." Heihachi said kneeling beside the girl. "It was a symbol of our pact, a treaty if you will."

Talim shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Let us just say that your little island is unique and had many untapped resources that was of interest to Mishima Corp. Kalana fought to preserve it and came here to Hon-Maru to negotiate a peaceful resolution. My father told her if she could survive his chosen fighters and me, He would leave the island untouched. He never really expected her to succeed."

"But she did."

"Indeed. He had set out an elaborate trial using all of Hon-Maru to test her both mentally and physically. Despite the obstacles put through her she still managed to defeat all his fighters and finally myself."

Talim sat and listened silently as her wide dark eyes gazed at Maila Kari only an arms length away from her.

"So you and my grandmother exchanged weapons as a symbol of the pact made between the Mishimas and my people."

"Indeed." Heihachi's smile broadened to a wicked grin. "But now with the current situation, it seems the contract is now annulled."

"You mean you're going to take our land?"

"Develop it Talim, not take it. There are valuable untapped resources there. It is a lucrative development opportunity."

Talim did not understand the difference, but she knew that her grandmother did not want the island touched by foreigners and she would fight to keep her grandmother's wishes.

With a graceful motion Talim bowed before Heihachi. "I humbly thank you for your hospitality and all things that you have done for me Mr. Mishima, but I am afraid that I cannot allow you to take control of my island. As the last Priestess of the Wind it is my duty to uphold my grandmother's wish. The island must remain as it is, unmolested."

"Are you challenging me little Talim?" Heihachi asked in amusement as the slight young girl stiffened.

"Please forgive me but I cannot let this come to pass." Her wide dark eyes met his in challenge.

Heihachi smiled shrewdly. "Then like your grandmother you must earn the right to keep your island."

Talim glanced back once at Maila Kari, her grandmother's elbow blades then turned and nodded her head in acknowledgement to Heihachi's challenge.

"_I won't back down."_ She told herself softly in her own language. _"I must fight."_

_A/N: Those familiar with Soul Calibur will recognize the direct quotes from the game as the little wind charmer tends to talk to herself in the game...it's kinda odd. :-)_


	3. Unwelcome Distraction

**Unwelcome Distraction**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters of Tekken or Soul Calibur I'm just borrowing them for a bit.

**Hon-Maru – Forest**

"Do you really think it's a good idea to go there?" Xiaoyu asked as she jogged beside her friend.

"Why not?" Jin replied simply.

"Well for one, what if they want to be alone?"

"Don't be ridiculous Xiao. What for?"

"Training maybe."

"It's a dojo, and we're going there to train. We have as much of a right as they do."

"But it's your grandfather's dojo."

"Did he say it was off limits?"

"We arrived at Hon-Maru last night." Xioayu tried to reason. "He may not know we're even here."

"Of course he knows. Nothing escapes his knowledge and this is his estate. Trust me Xiao, he knows we're here." Jin jogged faster. "Now keep up."

Xiaoyu's lips curled into a sly grin. When she caught up to him, she swept low and tripped Jin who caught her movement at the last minute and moved to avoid the foot-sweep.

Jin stumbled forward slightly but righted himself quickly as he laughed. Xiaoyu laughed triumphantly and avoided a retaliatory swing of Jin's fist.

"You're slow Kazama!" Xioa chided then accidentally got her footing caught on an uprooted root. "Whoa."

"Like I said before, your clumsiness knows no bounds."

Xiaoyu halted her run and tilted her head as she placed her fists to her hips. "Oh yeah?"

Jin stopped and turned to face her; fists up and foot stance at the ready. His lips twisted to an arrogant smirk. "Yeah."

"Come on!" Xiaoyu taunted and smiled when Jin made his first move.

**

* * *

****Hon-Maru – Mishma Private dojo**

Raven locks flew as she flipped over him and bounced over bared shoulders as she struck out with dual tonfas. Her kimono hung neatly at the dojo's edge was foregone for ease of fighting. She fought in the small clothes that she wore beneath the kimono.

Heihachi's rattan sword blade came up to parry as he twirled around to face her, his balding head covered in the sweat of exhilaration and exertion. He too had removed the restrictive top layers of his clothing leaving only his hakama pants on and his torso bare.

Talim as well showed signs of her effort and excitement. Her heart thrummed at a rapid beat as she barely dodged a decisive blow. Beads of sweat speckled her forehead and shoulders; Heihachi was holding nothing back.

"You can do this." She told herself as she crouched down from a head strike, then countered with her Tuhod Slicer move to cause Heihachi to back up and give her some ground then followed through quickly with a Planchada Cyclone that knocked Heihachi's sword from his hand and sent it flying across the wooden floor.

Heihachi offered a crooked smile at the diminutive girl facing him in the ring. She was incredibly fast and agile. Although her strikes were not as powerful as his, they were fast and abundant. Suddenly Heihachi moved forward and performed his Tile Splitter move; even without his sword he was more than capable in a fight.

Talim quickly performed a Wind Sault to flip out of danger and avoid the crushing damage. She then swiftly executed a Swift Espada striking with both her tonfas; two high and two mid attacks. On her third hit she managed to execute a wall jump and caused a surprise strike to Heihachi for the forth.

Heihachi countered with Shining Fist as Talim's feet touched the floor. He managed to hit her twice high, then at the midsection. The girl fell back from the blows wincing.

As Heihachi moved to attack with his Thunder God fist move, Talim crouched and struck with a Spinning Low Hiwa.

Heihachi stumbled back a step from the blow and used the distance to gain purchase and a moment of reprieve to consider his next move.

With heart pounding and breath labored from the last blow suffered Talim met Heihachi's eyes with bitter determination. The old man smiled back wickedly as he watched her wipe away a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"There is no shame in admitting when you are over matched." He offered his voice a soft purr.

"I won't back down!" she said defiantly.

Heihachi smiled again then attacked with his Demon Massacre move that stunned the girl momentarily and sent her flying across the room.

Talim landed with a grunt. _"I've got to go on."_ She told herself in her own language softly as she peeled herself from the floor.

The young girl rose slowly, lifted tonfas to bear before her chest and face in a cross guard defensive posture. She was still winded and her body involuntarily trembled.

"You put up a good fight. Your grandmother would still be proud that you tried." He said trying to break down the young girl's will. "It can end with but a word from you."

As she picked herself up off the mat Talim replied softly. "This isn't over yet."

With that she quickly moved to perform her Tornado Assault forcing Heihachi back to block her multiple strikes that alternated between high and mid blows. Deftly Talim avoided Heihachi's counter attack and Wind Saulted out of harms way.

Heihachi moved quickly with his Twin Piston move when suddenly a commotion at the door caught his attention and made him lose his concentration; falling short on his reach.

Xiaoyu had toppled through the opened door and sprawl onto the dojo floor near him as his grandson emerged from a decisive Kazama Fury hit combo.

With Heihachi's concentration momentarily broken, Talim took the opportunity to perform her Tower Kick throw.

"_**Wind guide me."**_ She called out in prayer as she grabbed Heihachi by the shoulders and swung up vertical quickly using all her weight, she swung down between his legs, brought Heihachi down and kicked him away with both legs as she propelled herself in the other direction and ended by rolling forward into her Wind Charmer stance.

With the force of the wind, Heihachi was flung across the room unceremoniously on his back with a loud grunt.

"Wow!" Xiaoyu gaped at what she had just witnessed, then turned to Jin who was open mouthed and in awe at the diminutive girl standing bruised and bloodied.

With an economy and fluidity of movement Talim took advantage of Heihachi's momentary sedentary state wind saulted onto his prone form pressing her tonfas to his neck as she knelt one knee on his chest .

"My island Heihachi-sama." She said softly.

"Is safe." Heihachi conceded. He was not really interested in developing the island so much as seeing how much Kalana had taught the girl. "Well done little one, Kalana would be proud."

A pained expression quickly crossed her face before she could say a word and as quickly as it had appeared it was gone; replaced with a serene façade. "Thank you."

Talim relaxed and moved off of Heihachi allowing him to rise to his feet once more. "Though you did receive some unexpected assistance by way of a distraction." He looked sternly at Jin and Ling Xiaoyu.

"I told you." Xiaoyu whispered to Jin. "Unwelcome."

Jin shrugged with indifference and merely kept his eyes on the young girl standing next to his grandfather.

"My grandon Jin Kazama and Ms. Ling Xiaoyu." Heihachi introduced.


End file.
